The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-11-21
wELL.KNOwN OOLORED WOMEN.
Thomas Fortune Tells the Names and
Performances OF n Few.

He Is man OF 35 or thereabouts, with a keen.
intellectual face and quick interest In every
thing that concerns the future Of the colored
people OF America Tell me something, Mr..
Fortune was asked few days since, "about
the women Of your race who have done the
most for II and for themselves"
"Colored women have hardly had an oppor-
tunlty to do much that is sensational" he re-
Piled. "They haven't had time. But still
there are several who are prominent
among their own people, and who have
earned solid reputation. Take Washington,
for instance. Colored women Of the best
class there don't take to marrying. They get
along better than the men, and usually devote
themselves TO their work and succeed well in
It, The most prominent colored women In
Washington, in the best sense OF the word,
are teachers-such women as Miss NJ. b.
Briggs professor Of English in Howard uni
versity most talented lady; or Josephine 7.
Turpin, OF the same school, who is frequent
contributor to newspapers; or Lucy Moulton,
who is the efficient principal Of big training
school, or Mary Male or Marion Shadd-all
higly cultured women respected and esteemed
by those who know them.
''In Philadelphia there is the sklllful woman
physician, DIR. Caroline V. Anderson. She is
the daughter OF William Still, wealthy col
ored merchant and one OF the directors OF
the underground railroad of which he has
written the history. His daughter is a regular
graduate OF the medical department OF How
ard university, and enjoys big practice
Philadelphia is the home Of other women OF
character and ability. There Is Mrs. Fanny
Jackson Coppln, the lecturer, who
devotes most Of her time to the institute for
colored youth there, and Mrs. Gertrude
Moselle, who used to conduct the Womans
department on The New York Fireman, and
who has written for The Philadelphia Times
and The Philadelphia Press as well as for pa
pers published in the interest Of the negro
race Mrs. Mosele is a member Of the Wom-
ans National Press association, the only mem
Der of her race. Mrs. Frances T.. Harper, the
temperance lecturer and writer, has lived
much in Philadelphia also.
"In Boston one of the best known colored
women is modlste, whose eye for effects IN
fabric form and color has made her rich.
Other colored women who have a wider repu-
tation than any OF these are Marie Selka, the
prima donna soprano, who was born In
Natchez, and whose voice is OF such sweetness,
purity, and compass that musical critics have
called her second only 10 Patti Nine. SelIka
has taken Gerster's place In concert in Boston,
and has sung before the crowned heads OF
Europe
''Mme Nellie Brown Mitchell is another mu-
stefan with n mechanical turn OF mind. She
has invented and patented two or three appli-
ances now In common use by musical instruct
ors Equally well known In another branch of
the fine arts Is EdmonIa Lewis, the sculptor.
She Is an Afro-Indian and was born In New
York state, but now has her studio In Rome,
trh hn Inns nlpntv of commissions and
sss done some fine work.
TThe Old Maker and His Daughter is
one of her best-known productions, and is
owned In England.
ages under Mississippi laws for being foreibly
thrust out OF passenger-car I'm Memphis by
three or four white men brought her before
the public few years ago Is probably the best
known of coored women journalists, and Miss
NJ f. Lambert, OF Detroit. Is poetess OF
genius The wife of Rev. Frank Grlmke, OF
Jacksonville, Fla, formerly II Miss Forten, Of
Philadelphia, Is young woman, but Already
widely known"
Mr.. Fortune told me that Philadelphia and
Boston are the cities where one may see his
race at its best. This may be partly because
the old abolition leaven In Boston and the
Quaker antl-savery sentiment In Philadelphia
attracted from the first the most Intelligent
and progressive colored people, and this early
influence Is still determining factor. IL
might possibly happen in another city than
Boston, that a young white GIRL beautiful, Of
the best family and college graduate, would
marry young colored man with no money or
position, and nothing but intelligence and
good breeding to recommend him, but In few
other cities would such match meet even the
qualified approval on the parts OF friends and
society In general that was given 1t in a GER
tain Hub instance have In mind.
asked Mr.. Fortune II he knew any colored
women who were repulei wealthy hut he did
mot saem esnepially Interested I'm that branch
OF the subject and | respected his reticence.
1t would not be difficult, however, to pick out
dozen colored women In the country whose
property in the aggregate might be expressed,
Ton information and belief" by seven figures,
In such n list would come the Gloucesters,
the rich boarding house keepers Of BROOKLYN:
Miss Amanda Eubanks, OF Rome, Ca, whose
white father left her $4,000; Mrs. Mary A.
Wilson, wealthy Florida woman; Mrs. Mary
Peasants, OF San Francisco, who holds some
thing more than s3j, 900 in government bonds,
owns n ranch, and has some city real estate;
MIS- James Thomas, Of ST. Louis who is worth
something like $4,000, and whose barbar-
sbop. the "Lindell.n Is the most luxurious in
the country and Mrs. Catharlne Blake, who
owns the Kenmore hotel at Albany, which Is
reputed worth $4,000. Miss Drake, young
colored woman Of Nash, n. c., has taken the
prize for the best production Of cotton at all
the state fairs and other Afro American
women are doing solid industrial works.
There are two colored women In the ranks
OF the law. Miss Florence Ray, OF Brooklyn,
and Mrs. NJ c. Cary, OF Washington. There
ia at least one colored minister, Rev. Mrs.
Freeman, Of Providence. There has been one
woman at the head Of n newspaper published
In the interest of Afro Americans, Miss Carrie
Bragg. who for some time edited The Lancet at
Petersburg, Va.
Napoleon's Heart.